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Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!

Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!
  Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!

 
Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!

 
Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!

North Star Ski Touring Club

Cross Country Skiing is our passion,
but we have fun all year!

Join us!   Ski, bike, hike, paddle, dance, socialize, support trailsOur club is the largest ski touring club in the lower 48.  Formed in 1967, our all-volunteer club sponsors day, weekend, week-long trips. We make a difference- through advocacy, trail maintenance and a grant-giving program.  Share your love of the outdoors with friends.

 

North Star Grant Program

Shaping the Future of the Club and Cross Country Skiing

Norm Oakvik, a club founder, donated a part of his estate to NSSTC to support the club and to further grow the sport of Nordic Skiing in Minnesota. 

Each year the North Star Grant program seeks, evaluates and funds worthy projects. 2024 New Deadline is April 8th. 

Link here for info on grant program policy
Link here for application procedures. 
Link here for 2024 Request for Proposals (RFP) notic
Link here for slide show on grant program

2023 Grants:   
We awarded $25,125 to six organizations to enhance cross-country skiing.  
• Ashland Ski Trail Association: new grooming machine

• Loppet Environmental Action Planning Committee: support the Loppet Fluoro Take-Back Program

• Lake Washington Regional Park (Mankato): grooming equipment – roller, trail groomer, track setter

• Lake of the Woods School ISD 390: equipment for the Nordic Rocks program for 120 youth

•North Superior Ski and Running: ski equipment for youth & high school

•Nordic Ski Club of Central MN: Grooming equipment or ski equipment (allowing club to choose) 


2022 Grants:   2020 Grant Project Report
We awarded $29,000 to eight organizations to enhance cross-country skiing in Minnesota.  

• Bemidji Area XC Ski Club to help replace an aging snowmobile used for grooming 95K of trails.

• Brainerd Nordic Ski Club to help buy a grooming snowmobile. The county no longer grooms trails.

• Norpine Trail Association in Lutsen to join with others to cover cost of a used piston bully.

• Cloquet Nordic Ski Club to help buy 20 sets of youth ski equipment, lessons for 160 young skiers.

• Lake Country Nordic Ski Club in Hackensack for a weed and brush mower to widen the trails.

• Coon Rapids Nordic Ski Boosters Club to build more trails for grade school and H.S. teams.

• Northern Lights Nordic Ski Club in Grand Rapids for partial funding of trail grooming equipment.

• Bloomington Nordic Ski Team for ski equipment for new members of the high school ski team.

For more info: 2022 Media Release

2021 Awards
In 2021 we provided $25,000 for these projects:  


• Ottertail Nordic Ski Assoc.-skis for youth program

 

• Medicine Lake Ski Club–grooming equipment

• Loppet Foundation–lighting at Theo. Wirth Park

 

• Mt. Ashwabay–construction equipment for trails

 

• North Superior Ski Club–ski equipment & course markers

• Washington Co. Ski Club–ski equipment

 

2020 Awards
In 2020 this program provided $25,000 in funding for the following projects.  
FFI on 2020 projects: Link.

 

• MN Youth Ski League

• Bemidji Area Cross Country Ski Club

• Sugarbush Trail Assoc.

• Rochester Active Sports Club (RASA)

• Banadad Trail Assoc.

• Itasca Ski and Outing Club

• Agassiz Environmental Learning Ctr.


North Stars at 2024 World Cup
World Cup Big Weekend for Loppet Foundation and Nordic Ski Community
The big event February 17-18, 2024, at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis was attended by about 40,000 joyous nordic ski enthusiasts scattered across the hilly race course. North Stars club was fortunate to get a block of tickets in our exclusive North Star Ski Touring Club Cheer Zone, on the race course. New and current members were selected by lottery to participate. Home-town hero, Jessie Diggins came in third in the women's 10K and Gus Schumacher also on the USA team made history as the youngest and first man to win a nordic ski event in over a decade. Watch this space for photos of North Stars at the event. 

 


Thanks go out to Craig Wiklund, Club Publicity Coordinator for an amazing job organizing our club participation. 




Trail Stewardship 

Every fall the club schedules trail-clearing trips to several Minnesota ski areas. Rolling up their
sleeves and brandishing hand tools, rakes and chainsaws, club members clear brush to get cross-country ski trails ready for the winter.

Schedule information is found on the Master Event Calendar. 


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XC ski slide show to get you in the mood for the season
Link to slide show of club activities displayed at North Stars booth at the Midwest Winter Expo

Donate to NSSTC Trail Development Fund

Donations to our Trail Fund are used to maintain and develop ski trails used by North Stars in Minnesota.  Each year teams of North Stars work on trimming, sawing, clearing, filling holes, building bridges, and other tasks to improve trails chosen by the club. Donated funds reimburse volunteers for travel expenses and purchase tools. 

 

We are glad to add this additional process so that members and others can make donations to the Trail Fund anytime, outside of membership sign-up or renewal transaction.  Donate to Trail Development Fund

Note: The Trail Fund is separate from the North Star Grant Program that funds projects proposed by organizations.


Announcements/News

December 10, 2024 General Meeting Announcement

Lee Frelich, Ph.D. Director, MN Ctr for Forest Ecology, U of MN will talk about the profound effects of climate change on forest ecology -- the types of trees,underbrush, wetlands and wildlife -- all habitat through which we enjoy cross-country ski trails.

6:30pm: Social & Meet

7:00pm: Club business and speaker
> Location: Danish American Ctr., 3030 W. River Rd. Pkwy, Mpls
> Join virtually via Zoom  NSSTC Zoom Meeting Link
**This is a hybrid mtg: in-person or online via Zoom)

Video recordings and documents from NSSTC meetings

February 13, 2024  Greg Breining, Wolf Island: Discovering the Secrets of A Mythic Animal.

Greg Breining, a prolific Minnesota author, discussed his recent book on wolves of Isle Royale. Link to video 


November 14, 2023 Deb Diggins: A Ski Family's Journey from Mini-loppet to World Cup: Link to video

January 11, 2022 Membership Meeting:  Favorite Place to Ski: East, West, and Midwest

Four X-country skiing clubs across the U.S: North Stars, Nooksack Nordic, Bellingham, WA; Capital Area Ski Touring, New York State  Link video: https://youtu.be/vOzaPRRmxeo
 
February 8, 2022 Membership Meeting: Changing Climate of Minnesota
Dr. Kenneth Blumenfeld of the MN State Climatology Office, "Phantom Winters, Unexpected Throwbacks, and New Precipitation Extremes: The Changing Climate of Minnesota". Link to video:  https://youtu.be/KuTWikTQ7mE


Club Zoom meetings now in Documents Library! 
To see "Trails of the North Shore" (December, 2021 meeting), go to "Resources" on the status line above, then "Document Library", "Folders" and on the bottom of the list click on "Club Zoom Meeting PDF's". 

Announcing Ski Buddy Program
Our program for beginning adult classic skiers connects our volunteers with skiers who have completed an organized ski lesson to meet on snow to help improve and enjoy the skiing experience. Link here for info about the stress-free program: how to request a ski buddy, practical tips for clothes, safe falling, equipment, places to ski, etc. Email for Ski Buddy contact: Link

Regular Club Meetings: 6:30pm (Social); 7pm (Program); 8:30 (End)
 > 2nd Tuesday of the Month, October to March
 > Hybrid Meetings:  Attend in person or virtually online * (link below).
 > Location:  Danish American Ctr., 3030 W. River Rd. Pkwy, Mpls 
 > Month-to-month meeting program descriptions: Link
 > Join virtually: NSSTC Zoom Meeting Link


2024-25 Extended Multi-Day Travel Trips Link: Up pcoming Extended Trips

 


   




Upcoming Events
Sept. 14, 2020 North Star "Test Run" Zoom Meeting
Bruce Nelson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: North Star Test Run Zoom Meeting
Time: Sep 14, 2020 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97426432976?pwd=bDQzTnlPTDJKZmkyQ09qZmhyWnN6QT09

Meeting ID: 974 2643 2976
Passcode: 284720
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                             North Star Facebook Page

Click on photos below for more information about North Star Ski Touring Club

Membership

 Meet new friends, take advantage of the year-round activities and great ski trips. Join today for as little as $20/year!
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Extended Travel Ski Trips

 Join us in the many exciting ski trips offered each year. Join the club and enjoy the full package of benefits and save.
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Year-round Events

 Our spring, summer and fall events include hiking, cycling, paddling, social activities, volunteering and more.